PHIL 355 - Moral Theory - Fall, 2015
Metropolitan State University
Down below the schedule are links to a bunch of stuff.
Tentative schedule of assignments -- Revised 10/13/15
Date |
Topic |
|
Writing assignments due |
Aug. 24 |
Introductory Session |
None |
|
Aug. 31 |
Review: Moral theory in general and Utilitarianism |
Julia Driver, Ethics: The fundamentals, Introduction and Chapters 1, 3, and 4. |
Response paper |
Sept. 7 |
Labor Day - No class |
||
Sept. 14 |
Kantian Ethics, Virtue Ethics, and 20th century Meta-ethics |
Driver, Chapters 5 and 8, James Rachels, “Moral Philosophy in the Twentieth Century” |
Response paper |
Sept. 21 |
What is Ethics? |
Response paper |
|
Sept. 28 |
Expressivism as naturalism; Internalism and Externalism |
Blackburn, Ruling Passions, Chapter 3 |
Response paper |
Oct. 5 |
Varieties of Realism |
Blackburn, Ruling Passions, Chapter 4 |
Response paper |
Oct. 12 |
Humean Sentiments vs. Kantian Reason |
Blackburn, Ruling Passions, Chapter 7 |
Response paper; |
Oct. 19 |
Neutralizing relativism |
Blackburn, Ruling Passions, Chapter 9 and the Appendix |
Response paper |
Oct. 26 |
A teleological conception of action as the source of norms |
Korsgaard, Self-Constitution, Chapters 1 and 2 |
Response paper |
Nov. 2 |
Principles of Reason and the Unity of the Will |
Korsgaard, Self-Constitution, Chapters 3 and 4 |
Response paper; Term paper topic proposal due |
Nov 9 |
Autonomy, Efficacy, Humanity |
Korsgaard, Self-Constitution, Chapters 5 and 6 |
Response paper |
Nov 16 |
Models of the Soul and of defective action (evil) |
Korsgaard, Self-Constitution, Chapters 7 and 8 |
Response paper |
Nov 23 |
Having Integrity and Being a Person |
Korsgaard, Self-Constitution, Chapters 9 and 10 |
Response paper; Term paper draft due |
Nov 30 |
Blackburn's critique of Kantian theory | Blackburn, Ruling Passions, Chapter 8 | Response paper |
Dec. 7 |
Wrap-up | Term Paper due |
Resources:
Blackburn, Ruling Passions, Chapter 1
Link to excerpts and notes on Kant's moral philosophy
Korsgaard on Kant's formula of universal law
For background in ethics and moral philosophy:
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Index to ethics articles - Note: the quality of these articles is somewhat uneven and occassionaly idiosyncratic.)
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Articles are highly reliable, but fairly advanced, and many are written by leading scholars. For example the article on moral paarticularism -- link below -- is written by Jonathan Dancy, who is the leading advocate and expositor of particularism.)
Constructivism in Metaethics (Kant, Rawls, Korsgaard,
Moral Anti-Realism (includes discussion of Blackburn)
Moral Cognitivism vs. Non-Cognitivism (includes discussion of Blackburn)
Consequentialist Moral Theories
Contractarian Moral Theories (Gauthier)
Contractualist Ethics (Scanlon)